See the World’s Best Wildlife Photos at the Royal Ontario Museum

Snow Moment by Jasper Doest, one of many images on display at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum

NOVEMBER 23 TO MARCH 23 It’s easy to feel like you’re roaming the African savanna with a lion, swimming the Arctic Ocean with a polar bear, and skittering about the prairies with a field mouse while viewing the stunning scenes of the Wildlife Photographer of the Yearexhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum. Drawn from more than 43,000 submitted to an international competition organized by the BBC and London’s Natural History Museum, the show—now in its 49th year, but enjoying its North American debut—features 100 large-scale, back-lit prints that depict both the natural world’s inherent artistry and the skill of the photographers who capture it.

A diversity of styles are on full display across 18 categories, including animal portraits, “wildscapes,” and botanical realms: for example, Luis Javier Sandoval’s sea turtle image, Dive Buddy, is notable for the contrast of its deep ocean blue and sandy white colours; Jasper Doest relied on a lot of patience and a little luck (plus ample photographic know-how, of course) to shoot a surrealistic portrait of a Japanese macaque; and Brent Stirton’s God’s Ivory series photojournalistic techniques to shed light on religion’s connection to elephant poaching. Of note, too, are a number of vivid images shot by budding photographers—some younger than 10 years old.

Bonus!Reflecting the inclusive nature of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, Torontonians are encouraged to upload their own wildlife photos to Twitter with the hashtag #ROMWPY. Screens throughout the exhibition will showcase these images alongside the winning photos. —Stephanie Young